


The Words

by Clever_Girl



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, Pre-stream shenanigans, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, There's no Percildan in this story but Percy thinks there might be, and only a vague half paid attention to thought about canon afterwards, there is some vaxleth on the side
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-01
Updated: 2016-11-30
Packaged: 2018-08-28 12:52:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8446531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clever_Girl/pseuds/Clever_Girl
Summary: As a child, Percy hadn't wasted any time thinking about his soulmate words.Growing up, they were all Vex'ahlia thought about.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I am a total sucker for Soulmate AUs. I'm a bit iffy on pre-stream canon, and am not sure yet how far into stream stuff this story will go, so I sort of shrugged and didn't get too concerned.  
> Title is also a Christina Perri song, which was unintentional but go ahead and listen if you'd like.

Percy never gave too much thought to his soulmate words. It was nice to know he had a soulmate, of course, but he was much more interested in science, and tinkering, and languages, and knowledge. He really didn’t think about romance or sex very much at all. His siblings, on the other hand, seemed to spend all their time bent over each other’s left forearms, examining the words. Was there any indication of gender, where they might meet, what they were like? They pushed up their long sleeves whenever they left the castle, away from the eyes of their parents who told them "it’s not proper"  . They spent long evenings guessing the context for Vesper’s ‘ _Can you keep a secret’_ or giggling over the expletive that was etched into Oliver’s skin. Percy didn’t participate, but he also didn’t escape the teasing, not with ’ _Hello, handsome’_ printed so elegantly between his elbow and wrist.

Percy wanted to know everything else about the words, about how they worked. There was precious little research to be found about them. They were not necessarily the first words you heard, but the first words said specifically to you or a group you were part of. They didn’t guarantee a successful or healthy relationship. Not many people were willing to be studied or even talk about it, too private and precious. Percy had some idea that it might be time magic, but since he had no talent or way of getting more expertise, he put aside the research topic in favor of metallurgy and black powder. Only once in a very long while, right before falling asleep, did he let himself wonder about the person whose words he bore. He’d try to picture them, sometimes a woman, sometimes a man, different hair colors and body types as he tried to figure out what he liked best. He would imagine them wearing shorter sleeves, proudly showing off his words; usually he imagined those words to be delicate curves of Celestial, a language he had taken such great pains to learn. It always took place at a ball or political dinner, he rarely met anyone elsewhere, and none of the people he imagined were quite the sort of person to turn to him and say his words, but he figured it would make sense at the time. The one constant was how much they loved him, immediately, how much he felt like he belonged, and he would wake up from those nights more disappointed than usual, more out of place and alone.

It wasn’t until after he ran from his home in the dead of night that he thought of soulmates seriously. Were there six people out there who had now lost theirs? Did their left arms ache? Were the words fading already? He had made some theories, that the magic was a stable time loop, that having words were something of a guarantee that you’d live to hear them, but now he knew that wasn’t true. The words on his arm, dark printed against his pale skin, might go unsaid if he couldn’t be careful. Ripley had seen his words, had used them in her torture, bringing in people to say them and then be beaten. _Your fault_ , she had hissed, and he had gasped out apologies between breaths, but he knew they weren’t true. Ripley was sadistic and wanted to hurt him and it was working, working so well, he blamed himself, but his soulmate wasn’t any of those poor hurt people. He wasn’t sure if any of them survived his escape, if Cassandra had been able to release any before finding him, but at the time, behind all the fear, blood loss, and pure selfishness, he hadn’t given it a thought. One more thing to blame himself for. He cried, sometimes, at night, when he thought about what he’d done and what he’d lost, and he swore his vengeance, and one of those nights, he saw a swirl of black smoke and his vengeance spoke back. Percy was so sure he knew what were the first words that demon would say. He was wrong.

 

Two years of running and fishing and tinkering and planning. He hadn’t met many people, and he was even less likely to be called handsome now that he was so skinny and dirty and his hair had grown in white. Chasing Ripley was going just as poorly, Percy’s only lead had gotten him arrested for attempted murder, and now he was stuck in a cell for gods knew how long, the guards perfectly clear that they would be happy to let him rot there. It was likely that Ripley would find him first.

“You’d better hurry up,” he addressed his arm. “If you’re going to meet me, I think you’re running out of time.” His arm felt slightly warm, even through his shirt and coat, although he knew it was nonsense. He shifted in the corner of the cell, trying to keep his coat between his back and the cold cell wall. He hated the idea that he might die without killing the Briarwoods, without avenging the family. Now, he could add ‘not meeting his soulmate’ to his list of regrets.

 

Percy jolted awake, there were no windows in his cell to tell night from day, and the constant torchlight kept him from resting very deeply, but it had been several hours since he had received any food or water. The loud clanging certainly wasn’t keys, though.

“Oh, wonderful, brother, very sneaky.” A female voice. He hadn’t noticed any female guards yet.

“Did you want to pick that lock? I didn’t know it would fall that easily.” This one was male. Guards didn’t bicker like this, either. And although the voices were getting nearer, he didn’t hear any footsteps.

“If you want to let everyone in this hole know we’re here, then certainly- don’t roll your eyes, how childish.”

“ _You’re_ childish.”

“ _You’re childish,”_ the female voice mimicked back.

“Really?”

“ _Really_ ”

Percy crouched, there was no place to hide in the cell, if they wanted to hurt him he wouldn’t be able to get away, but he felt less vulnerable if he was on his feet. He grasped the bars, peering out at the two figures now leaving the hallway. They were both attractive, fine features and dark cloaks, one with their dark hair flowing loose, the other with a long braid. They stopped in front of him, matching expressions of happy surprise. “Hello, handsome,” said the male, with the loose hair.

“ _Hello, handsome,_ ” said the female with the braid, still mimicking her brother.

In Percy’s imagination, when he was in this moment, he always had something smooth to say. His practiced Celestial words, for one, or complimenting his soulmate back. Right now, he was too thirsty, aching, tired, and outright dumbstruck to say anything intelligent, just “There are _two_ of you?”

* * *

 

Vax’ildan and Vex’ahlia shared everything, no one was all that surprised that they shared words. People didn’t generally care long enough to notice the small difference, and Vex was perfectly happy with that. Made it less likely anyone would try to play them for a fool. The words didn’t much matter when they were the same thing just about everyone said when meeting them. For fraternal twins they still looked an awful lot alike. The twins rather expected those words on everyone's lips, and whenever they met someone new, would listen carefully and separate them into two columns, _his_ and _hers_.

Vex used to think about her soulmate often, used to _hope_. At first, she hoped that it was a fullblood elf, someone her father respected, someone who would pull her fully into the society of Syngorn and would be so important that no one would dare say a word against their halfblood spouse. Someone who would prove she belonged. After she and Vax left, she tried hard to pretend that didn’t matter anymore. She tried to stop hoping, but every time she heard those words, her heart still leapt into her throat a bit. Vax might jokingly point out which people they met were hers, but she remembered every one, and thought about what her life would be like with each of them. She probably spent too much time thinking about her soulmate, but she had plenty of quiet nights just her and her bear while her brother worked for the Clasp.

 

Vex and Vax had taken little jobs before, occasionally with another mercenary or sellsword, but never in a group like this. Vex frowned. Two gnomes, a goliath, a red dragonborn, and an elf. No, a half-elf. She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting, but a more put together crew would have been welcome. “Is this the whole group?” she asked.

The half-elf turned around, red hair flying and eyes lighting up. “There’s two of you!”

Vax laughed and nudged his sister. “Ah, one of mine, then.”

The half-elf’s expression grew even more excited. “One of your what? I always wondered.”

“Wondered? Oh. Oh! Oh-woah-woah!” Vex’s grin grew as she turned to her brother, his posture stiff and face frozen. “One of yours is right!” She poked Vax hard on the arm, right on the apostrophe that she lacked, and offered her hand to the redhead, who turned out to be named Keyleth. She couldn’t wait to start the teasing.

 

There didn’t seem to be much of a difference in Vex and Vax’s relationship, even days after Vax met his soulmate. They weren’t pursuing anything yet, but Vax was always watching Keyleth, as though trying to figure her out without having to do any bothersome talking. Vex could only hope that he would have a chat before the tension coiled up in his body snapped, killing them all. When they stopped for the night, right outside Stillben, Vax placed his bedroll as far away from the fire as possible, far far away from the druid, and lay down immediately with his back to them. Vex’ahlia sighed, brothers could be so troublesome. Still, she was glad for a break, a chance to examine the tiny kernel of envy inside her heart, to see how much was because she wanted to be the most important person in her brother’s life, and how much was because she wanted to find her own soulmate. After Keyleth’s opening words, Vex had listened to the introductions expectantly, waiting for someone else to have the same thought, after all, she and her brother had done everything together since before birth. She hadn’t considered one of them pairing up much before the other. A glance at her twin, shoulders moving evenly as he pretended to sleep in order to avoid a grown up conversation, reminded her of the one thing she would be sure of all her life. The words were about _romantic soulmates_. She didn’t need words to be absolutely whole-heart sure of who her soulmate really was. Vex placed her bedroll next to his. “Move over, brother, I’m freezing and want to share your blanket.”

He lifted it in invitation. "Alright, Stubby. just bring my nephew over to warm our feet." 

 

Getting used to a group was difficult, after so long of it just being the two of them, or three if you counted Trinket, but Trinket always agreed to Vex’s plans. The planning session here had consisted of several people trying to talk over one another, Scanlan making several lewd jokes, and Pike trying to keep anyone from having their feelings too hurt. Vex wasn’t even sure why they were breaking into a jail, but it was the first decisive action they’d taken in days, so she was on it. “Vax can pick locks,” she had volunteered, “and I’ll go with him. We’re both very stealthy.”

“Good, I’m not.” Pike announced cheerily, her heavy armor clanking as she sat. “We’ll wait out here for you.”

Tensions were high and Vex very much wanted this test of skill to go well, prove to the group what great assets they were, but Vax wasn’t focusing. Because of Keyleth probably, Vex fumed. He opened the jail door but let the heavy lock hit the metal doorframe, echoing loudly down the halls.

“Oh, wonderful, brother, very sneaky.”

“Did you want to pick that lock? I didn’t know it would fall that easily.” Vex shook her head, even as Vax walked ahead of her and wouldn’t be able to see. He had never quite cared what people thought as much as she did. She was still trying to make up for the entire populace of Syngorn, she was still trying to prove her value to people. She wanted this new group of theirs to be impressed. After all, her brother’s soulmate was one of them, so they were likely sticking around for a while. She stepped quickly to catch up with him.

“If you want to let everyone in this hole know we’re here, then certainly- don’t roll your eyes, how childish.”

“ _You’re_ childish.”

“ _You’re childish,”_ she sing-songed. She couldn’t help but jump back into her old role of annoying little sister (three minutes younger, three inches shorter, not quite taken seriously).

“Really?”

“ _Really._ ” She elbowed Vax slightly as they passed into a larger room, full of cells, all empty except the one closest to them. She bumped into Vax, who stopped abruptly.

“Hello, handsome.”

“ _Hello, handsome,_ ” Vex repeated automatically. Then her gaze landed where Vax’s had, and she whispered the words again.

There was a man inside the cell, a dirt streaked human in a long coat, but his face was pressed against the bars, and he was unmistakably the most attractive man she had seen in a long while. Stunning, really, with a shock of white hair and glasses that magnified intelligent eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, anything, hopefully something charming, but the man spoke first.

“There are _two_ of you?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vex knows how she feels. Percy tries to figure out how he feels. Orthax is there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Editing this kicked me in the butt, so I'm hoping this care out at lease partially coherent. One shortish chapter left, I think. Check me out on Tumblr where my name is ItsLarsYouGuys.

“There are two of you?”

Vex couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t speak, couldn’t even think. She needed to sit down. Then, Vax chuckled and nudged her, _one of yours_ that gesture said, and the world seemed to right itself again. She took a deep breath. “Two of us, yes. Any reason we should leave you in there, darling, or would you like to come with us?” The man did, in fact, want to come with them, introducing himself with a far too long to remember name and a shaky bow. Vex made a note to get some provisions for him out of the bag of holding as soon as they rejoined Grog. Vax was talking to the man, this Percival, but she couldn’t hear a thing. She still felt short of breath, lightheaded. Was this him? Her soulmate? If it was, wouldn’t he feel this too? Was there any chance that some of his wobbling was due to her and not weakness?

Vex remained impressed with Percival and his composure as they made their way back to their motley group, Vax still grilling him about the odd weapons he now bore. If nothing else, Grog usually caused some odd glances. He remained calm and even charming throughout meeting everyone, and only flinched slightly when Trinket loped up from the edge of the woods to greet Vex. He fit into the group as if it had merely been waiting for him in order to be complete. It seemed she would have the luxury of time to figure this Percival something something de Rolo out.

She remembered her first words to him and held them in her heart, just in case she ever got up the courage to ask him. Or an opportunity to quietly look as he tinkered or bathed maybe, not that she would actually do anything to violate his privacy like that. She held it so carefully on her lips that she often had to catch herself when she addressed him, call him ‘darling’ instead of handsome.

 

The closest she ever came to asking was one night on watch. “You never show your words.” Vex kept her tone casual, as though she had only a passing interest and it hadn’t been in her thoughts since the moment they met.

Percy paused in cleaning his gun. His right sleeve was rolled up, but his left stayed carefully covered. “Old habit, I’m afraid. Custom that I believe nobility got from the elves. It’s polite.” He tried not to look at her arms, the clothes she wore without any thought of what they showed or not. Now, as usual, _two of you_ emerged from the cuff, for everyone to know.

“I think it started as a political move,” she shrugged. “For the elves. Don’t let anyone know your words so they can’t use it against you. Trick you into marriage or something. We were never...Vax and I weren’t considered important. Showing ours off became a little rebellion, I guess. Sometimes I wish my bracers didn’t cover them so much, so I could show I’m proud, but practicality wins out. Archery, you know.” She gestured vaguely. _Just ask him, just ask_. Her fingers itched to pull up his sleeve. Were her words there? The way she felt about him might just be attraction, ordinary desire, but she wanted so badly to have proof that not only could it grow into more than that, but it was supposed to. She couldn’t feel selfish for wanting him for her very own if he was meant to be hers. If she was his in return. She didn’t ask, though, just watched him sit there by the fire, all regal posture and noble bearing, smart and important and so damn untouchable. She had hoped what she said about being proud of her words would spur him to action, to a deeper discussion, but he went back to his silence and her heart drooped a bit.

“Do I make you uncomfortable?” She asked tentatively.

He tilted his head, shaggy white hair brushing his glasses. “I’ve kissed you several times now,” she clarified. “You don’t flinch, exactly, but I wasn’t sure you liked it and I don’t want you to feel forced.”

“Ah.” He paused, considering the question. It was one of the things Vex liked most about him, that he gave such weight to his words, carefully thinking them through before speaking. “I don’t dislike it. Uncomfortable, perhaps, but only because I’m not quite used to it. You and your brother are very…” he searched for the word. “Affectionate. My family was not that sort.” _Lie_ , he thought. His siblings touched often enough, he was the one keeping himself apart.

 

* * *

 

 

This all would be a lot easier for Percival if he wasn’t attracted to both of them. Their looks were similar, and practically perfect, but their personalities were very different. And each perfect in their own way. He saw Vax leap into danger to protect his friends, saw him gentle and fond of children and his odd snake-slash-belt, saw him joke around and how he called Percy “handsome” not infrequently. He saw Vex haggle with charm and perseverance, enough that he immediately gave her all his earnings, certain that she could make better use of it than he could. He saw her mother that bear of hers, keeping him out of the fight as often as possible even though he could be a force to be reckoned with if he ran up front with Grog, he saw her little kindnesses like dishing extra food to Pike who would never ask for seconds on her own. Either of them would make a wonderful partner, but only one was his soulmate.

Percy, with the worst vision of anyone in their group, was always paired up with one of the half-elves for watches. His time with Vax was usually rather quiet, but not uncomfortably so. They focused on the watch, Vax often twirling one of his knives, and Percy cleaned his gun. Only once did Vax start a conversation, when everyone else was resting after a rough fight where Keyleth and Scanlan had both almost fallen. He’d made a quick run to Gilmore’s for extra healing potions before they made camp and his restless energy was enough to make Percy jumpy. “Maybe we should all be like Tibsy.”

“In what way? Stop drinking?”

Vax shook his head. “The words, Freddie. Haven’t you heard him whenever he meets someone new? That’s Draconian tradition apparently, at least for the higher born, like him. Always say the same thing, identify yourself and where you’re from so if that’s what’s written on their arm they can find you.”

Percy considered it. “But Tiberius hasn’t gone looking for his? Doesn’t he know his soulmate’s name then?”

Vax shrugged. “It seems rude to ask what his words are. Maybe his soulmate isn’t even a dragonborn. Who knows. I just think it’s a smart idea. If soulmates can find each other easily, it would be harder to,” he drifted off for a moment, only picking up his thought when Percy was about to speak, “make other attachments.”

“This is about Gilmore.” Percy had seen the flirting, Vax and Gilmore were obviously attracted to each other, and if Vax was his soulmate, well. Perhaps he should feel some jealousy, but he couldn’t manage to muster any up. In fact, it was comforting to know someone else was wrestling with feelings for multiple people.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” And Vax walked away to do a perimeter check.

 

On the whole, Percy preferred his time with Keyleth. He never felt awkward around her, their friendship had formed easily and quickly to the point that he could rarely stay gloomy around her. They didn’t talk of deeply important things, but through light hearted talk Percy found himself opening up more than he had in years. She also struggled with the responsibility of leadership, she also had many questions about the loss of her mother, she also kept her soulmate words quietly tucked away, hidden behind jewelry and leaves. If the soulmate words were ever anything other than romantic, Percy thought it might be her excited greeting that marked his arm, and while her presence didn’t make the loss of his siblings ache any less, he felt content with having found family.

 

In the Underdark, he found that the more time Percy spent thinking about soulmates, the more difficult Orthax was to control. His gravelly voice hissed in the back of Percy’s head, telling him to focus his energy on revenge, on destruction. Percy cut himself off from soft feelings and romantic thoughts partially to mollify Orthax, but also, and this he was ashamed to admit even to himself, because Orthax frequently won their contest of wills and controlled him into obedience. It was terrifying to Percy, enough so that it was not surprising that he missed all the small signs of the change in his feelings. The feast in Emon, seeing the Briarwoods again, traveling to Whitestone, it was all a blur he could barely control but throughout it all Vex stayed on the periphery. Orthax, Ripley, Anders, Delilah, Sylas. None of them could hurt her, none of them could have her. He didn’t stop his smoky thoughts long enough to figure out why until after she had pressed him against a wall and Orthax be damned, he wanted so badly to lean forward and kiss her.

He didn’t kiss her. He allowed himself one moment, one thought and then filed it away to deal with later, after the Briarwoods were dead. He thought, _oh. I love her._ He didn’t examine it any further, didn’t consider any actions or consequences, but this knowledge kept him fighting, kept him pushing at the boundaries of the demon inside. His love gave him strength to keep his cruelty in check, to pull a collapsed Vex out of the Ziggurat, to move his gun away from his sister’s head and up against his own. He came out of this adventure with not just a love, but a clear head, a castle, and a sister. It was more than he could possibly hope for. Before Vox Machina, his best case scenario for this fight had been dying alongside his foes. Now he had a family to celebrate with.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if, he told himself, what if you fell in love with a woman but your soulmate was her brother. Wouldn’t that be a funny story to tell the grandkids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While I ended up referring to canon events last chapter, this one doesn't really make any sense in the timeline, so I am taking full advantage of AU.  
> Thank you for reading my first Critical Role fic and for the comments and kindness! Please check me out on tumblr where my user name is ItsLarsYouGuys

Vox Machina had very few moments of peace in their lives. Those quick nights were usually spent celebrating, drinking, trying to forget about the passing dangers, not spent discussing weighty things like soulmate words. Percy had to attribute his need to discuss them with Vex as a form of masochism. She was a lovely woman to have a light conversation with, to tease and chat, but somehow he always found his way back to the one topic he was most afraid of.

“Do you believe in love? I mean truly falling in love, without the words.”

Vex startled, having only stepped away from the group for a moment to catch her breath. She was enjoying her balance of the city and the forest, Whitestone now held the same comfort as the trees to her, but sometimes the open air called to her. “What do you mean, darling?”

“Falling in love with someone other than your soulmate.”

“I am sure it’s possible.” She measured her words carefully, unsure of Percy’s mood. He had seemed to be adjusting well, the loss of a focus, the loss of an enemy and _purpose_ was softened by gaining Cassandra, by gaining a clearer demon-free mind, but one could never know with her quiet, mysterious man. She then scolded herself for referring to Percy as hers, even just in thought.

“My parents weren’t soulmates. They were told to marry, so they did, and seemed rather happy. Seven children speaks to some amount of happiness together, don’t you think?”

“I didn’t think arranged marriages were forced, not if there were soulmates in question.” Percy’s gaze seemed entirely focused on the night sky, so she let herself stare at him. She wanted so badly to touch him, give him the comfort he seemed to be craving, but she remembered that he wasn’t used to it. His family didn’t touch. He’d only even embraced Cassandra once since finding out she was alive, so he probably wasn’t going to respond well to a hug.

“Not usually. Even amongst the nobility, we pretend to be accepting, the occasional peasant soulmate married into the line just strengthens the stock, we say. Laugh it off as if people are cattle. But my mother was from a good family, a perfectly appropriate match for her soulmate, who died while betrothed, and since the families were still eager for a match, married his younger brother instead. My father.”

“And your father’s soulmate?” Percy shrugged. “I’m sure there’s a story there, but they never let the children hear it.”

“That’s very sad, though.” She placed her hand on the balcony railing between him, so close to his, but not touching. _Make the next move,_ she thought. _Touch me. Touch my hand._

“I would wager that it happens all the time. People not finding their soulmates or not ending up with them. Perhaps even more often than not, but people don’t discuss it. Even if they are happy, they might be too ashamed.” He adjusted his grip on the railing, not realizing how tensely he had gripped. Vex’s hand was right there, so easy for him to hold, to caress. _What if,_ he told himself, __what if you fell in love with a woman but your soulmate was her brother. Wouldn’t that be a funny story to tell the grandkids.__ He moved slightly, the smallest finger of his left hand just barely brushing the smallest finger of her right. Vex had no answer for him, so they remained in silence a moment longer before the group, tired of waiting to be rejoined, came out to meet them.

 

Percy had hoped that being free of Orthax would make him free of indecision, free of worry. Now that he was fully himself, without the demon in his head or the self destructive tendencies, he might actually begin to be worthy of Vex’ahlia. He did think much clearer, couldn’t blame thoughts on some obsession of Orthax, and his love for her was now certain. He was a work in progress, he might never be able to make up for some of the horrible things he had done fighting the Briarwoods, but he felt sure he was on the right path. He had the ability to become who he wanted to be.

There was simply one piece of baggage he refused to tie her down with.

She was a woman who deserved more than love. She deserved a soulmate.

And he was still too full of self-loathing to think it could be him. Too selfish and terrified to just speak to her and find out it wasn’t him. Every time he approached her he felt ill.

 

He eventually turned to the person he felt most comfortable with. If he had to discuss specifics with someone, Keyleth was the one person he could trust with his weakness, and for all that she appeared flighty, she was absolutely able to keep a secret. He had a slightly difficult time finding her alone, but he managed to catch her on the way back to the castle from her regular chat with the Sun Tree.

“Percy! Out for a walk?”

He nodded and offered her his arm to walk together, which she took with a bright smile.

“Keyleth, I need some advice…” He stammered a bit, unsure where to start. “You never talk about your soulmate.”

Keyleth looked at him surprised. “I don’t? I thought I talked about him the usual amount.”

“So, it’s a him? You’ve met?” Keyleth’s brow furrowed, confused, but she didn’t try to stop the conversation and that was enough for Percy. “Did you know right away? Would you love him without…?”

Keyleth sighed, her eyes darting to the castle ahead, small figures on some of the battlements that might be guards or might be their friends. “I love him, but I don’t know if that means anything. We’re not together, we might never be. I don’t _need_ him, you know? But I’m glad I found him.”

“That’s rather pragmatic.”

“Perhaps the Ashari are a bit more casual about it than other cultures. Or maybe it’s just me. I have my soulmate, and that’s a good thing, even if that’s all we will ever be. Even if we aren’t lovers.” She softened the last word, slightly embarrassed, dropping Percy’s arm to touch her own. Her finger ran along one of her bangles and pushed it up so he could see the pretty lettering. “ _Ah, one of mine, then”_ , with the commas curlicuing into the leaves wrapped around her arm, the capital A tucked into the crook of her elbow.

Percy chuckled. “What did he mean?”

Keyleth smiled. “When I was little, I hoped it meant I belonged. I’ve told you how alone I felt, being picked to be a future leader. But somewhere, there was someone who would consider me theirs. I liked that.” She shook her head slightly. “I know that wasn’t really it now, but I’m glad I had it to get me through those years. He really just meant because their words are so similar, you know?”

Percy was glad they had halted to talk, if he had still been trying to walk he would definitely have stumbled. “I am sorry, but who?”

“He doesn’t talk about it at all?” Keyleth looked slightly sheepish, “Vax? You seem pretty close sometimes so I thought maybe he brought it up?”

His thoughts were rushing so fast he couldn’t grab them in order to put them in words. “I think we may be talking a bit at cross purposes here, could you explain a bit more?” he asked weakly. Keyleth was obviously concerned but knew her friend well enough to not ask questions.

“Vax and Vex have practically the same words, mostly because it’s what everyone says when they meet them. But there’s one little difference so he joked that I might be his. He didn’t realize I had the joke for my words, so he was actually a little embarrassed when we met properly.”

“Vax is your soulmate.” He held his breath waiting for confirmation, that this was real and not something his own brain made up to validate going after Vex.

“Yes. He’s my soulmate.” Her voice was pleased, and she gave a soft smile that told Percy all he needed to know. Even if nothing else was certain, finding one’s soulmate, knowing them, was worth it. He leaned over to peck Keyleth’s cheek.

“I’m sorry I must run, this has been an enlightening conversation.” He darted off, leaving a slightly confused but smiling druid behind.

 

He found Vex in the garden, which was lucky because Percy could not imagine searching every room in the castle in his state of agitation.

“Vex!”

“What’s wrong, darling?” One look at his disheveled hair and wild eyes and she was on alert, Trinket rushing to her side, looking for danger.

“Nothing, pardon, nothing is wrong. I just,” he paused to catch his breath, knowing there was no way to calm his heart pounding. “Do you remember the first thing I ever said to you?”

She waited a moment before answering, unwilling to admit that she knew it very well, she had it etched in her memory as surely as it was etched on her arm. “Yes, that there were two of us. Hardly original,” she winked so he knew she was teasing.

“May I see your words?” His voice was ragged, desperate, and he was still breathing heavy. She was frozen under that weight, refused to move.

“Why?” Percival’s eyebrows relaxed, mouth loosening into something resembling a smile as he took off his coat. “What are you doing? Percy-” She cut herself off, looking at his shirt sleeves, one layer of cloth between her and what she needed to know. “Percy.”

“I’ll show you mine if you show me yours,” he unbuttoned his left shirt cuff.

By this point, Trinket recognized that there had been no danger, just the man who smelled like smoke and made his mama happy, so he settled back down for a nap. Vex, having lost her grip on his warm fur, now felt slightly dizzy. “Do you really think?”

Percy slowly and deliberately rolled up his shirt sleeve. She blinked a few times to make sure she was seeing correctly.

 _Hello, Handsome_. The H’s were both capital, taking up the full width of his arm, the other letters looping prettily where they decorated his skin. She mouthed the phrase as she read, remembering vividly how they felt the first time she said them.

“May I?” He reached for her arm where it still hung limply at her side after letting go of Trinket.

“Percy?” She barely recognized the small voice as her own, but she offered her arm to him all the same, so he could carefully unbuckle her bracer.

There it was. His surprised words that had bubbled out of him unbidden, the words that came out when he would have preferred Celestial, or a compliment to match his own. There, on the arm of the woman he loved, read _There are two of you?_ He had seen the back half of it many times, had noted how fancy the question mark seemed, particularly when compared to Vax’s solid exclamation point. He had spent long hours replaying that scene in his head, was his tone a question or an interjection, and he had not really been able to answer. Now he knew what fate considered it, at least, the grin unfurling on his face. “Oh, Vex.” He met her eyes quickly, unwilling to stop looking at the words for long, the proof he needed that no matter how broken or lost he found himself, _she_ was meant for him.

“It’s the contraction,” she said, so softly he almost missed it. “Or lack, I mean. There are. Vax’s is different.” He still hadn’t let go of her from where he removed her armor, and now he ran his thumb gently over the word “ _are_ ”.

“Yes, that sounds like me. Always a bit formal.” He chuckled. “We, oh gods, Vex, we wasted so much time.”

“Not wasted.” She pulled her arm out of his grasp only to throw both arms around his neck, pulling him closer. “I fell in love with you without being sure, Percy. I _know_ I love you.”

His joy bubbled up out of him in the form of laughter as he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off her feet, swinging her in a circle. “I love you too, Vex’ahlia. Have loved you for ages and ages.” Her boots now firmly back on the garden stones, he bowed his head to kiss her. He hadn’t been prepared, although he certainly had hoped, for how right this kiss felt. She was warmth and happiness and coming home. She was his soulmate.


End file.
